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Edinburgh Live
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
West Lothian mum credits online vampire identity for 'boosting her confidence'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A West Lothian stay-at-home mum who presents as a vampire in her spare time has said her gothic alter ego allows her to be "more confident". Kat, 22, who is originally from Poland, shares videos of her vampire persona 'Katarina' with her 14,000 TikTok followers under the handle @zokatsen. Bullied as a child for being 'weird' and 'different', Kat says her online character has helped her find her identity after feeling 'lost' in early motherhood. Dressing up in corsets, wearing fake fangs and filming videos in graveyards, Kat is able to be a more confident person. Taking inspiration from Victorian-era fabrics, she pairs black and red silk or lace with white linen and cotton pieces that feature Romantic details like flouncy sleeves and layers them with gothic-inspired jewellery adorned with bat motifs. Despite receiving hate online and 'strange looks' in public for her appearance, Kat, who does not wish to disclose her surname for privacy reasons, has found a community of fellow goths and aims to inspire other mothers to pursue their passions. Her dream would be for her online persona to lead to paid acting roles, and she will be going into her second year studying creative writing at university from September 2025. 'Even though Katarina is a character, she and I are two sides of the same coin,' Kat told PA Real Life. 'She allows me to be more confident, more outwardly somebody that maybe I don't feel so confident being in my own life.' After moving to Scotland from Poland at two-and-a-half years old, Kat's journey into the gothic subculture began in childhood, with a love of the film The Corpse Bride and the musical The Phantom Of The Opera. At school, Kat said she was verbally and physically bullied by other girls for being 'outspoken', as well as for her Minecraft YouTube channel – her first foray into content creation. (Image: Collect/PA Real Life) 'Throughout my childhood, there was definitely a pattern of me being considered weird and different, and people trying to stamp that out,' Kat said. 'In high school, that's when the more physical stuff started – pulling hair, standing on my shoes, walking behind me, following me, and then your usual yelling out abuse.' During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kat began experimenting with her appearance, starting with dramatic eyeliner. Her go-to products include Revolution SFX white base, NYX eyeshadow and Rimmel eyeliner – but she focuses on budget-friendly choices. 'I love Vinted – just these random gems that you find,' she said. 'I also try to alter any clothing that I maybe don't like any more, but I could make something else out of it.' Kat's daughter, who she wishes to keep anonymous, was born in May 2023, and she initially threw herself into motherhood, sidelining other parts of her identity. 'For a long time, I felt really lost in myself, and I didn't really know how to express myself properly, or how to separate me from the mum that I had become,' she said. 'I felt like I had to completely lock away any of my desires, any of my needs, and just put my daughter first, because if I didn't do that, I wouldn't have been able to cope.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. Kat said she was still in a relationship with her daughter's father at the time, but they have since broken up. She said she knows any future partner would need to support her alternative lifestyle. 'I probably would want to date somebody that is also in the subculture, maybe somebody that has also experienced being shunned for what they really enjoyed doing,' she said. 'Just because I wouldn't be able to be with someone that I didn't really relate to in that way, and I wouldn't want to dampen my own personality and how outwardly myself I have become.' It is at night – when vampires typically prowl – that Kat finds time to create her TikTok content. 'Since I've been a teenager, I find it a lot easier to function at night,' Kat said. She creates videos in which her comedic vampire persona Katarina 'navigates the world of human alternative culture'. In one of her most popular videos, which has more than 340,000 views, Katarina visited Frankenstein's Bar in Edinburgh, acting confused by modern human customs. She also films in graveyards, spaces Kat says she has always found 'peaceful'. While Kat does occasionally use fake fangs in her videos, she uses special effects to edit red eyes in after recording, as she 'struggles' with contact lenses, and this also saves time as a busy mum. Kat draws on her childhood experience as a youth theatre member to bring Katarina to life. She also takes inspiration from vampire-themed media including Netflix's animated series Castlevania, and comedy mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows – with TikTokers drawing comparisons between her and Natasia Demetriou's character, Nadja. 'Katarina says that Nadja is one of her best friends from the United States, so they're kind of spiritual sisters in that sense,' explained Kat. Out of some of the more mainstream vampire series, Kat prefers The Vampire Diaries to the Twilight franchise. 'I watched The Vampire Diaries when I was younger, and I really enjoyed that,' said Kat. 'However, Katarina would hate Twilight because she thinks that it is a completely inaccurate representation of vampires and that it spreads a lot of misconceptions about her kind.' She added: 'I really enjoy acting. That love for theatre has stuck with me – it's a core part of who I am. 'Even though I'm playing a character, I try to incorporate my own values, my belief system and who I am.' Despite the growth of the channel leading to opportunities including an advert for ITVX's vampire collection, Kat's appearance – online and in real life – has not been without backlash. 'I don't get many comments (in real life), but I do see disapproval on some people's faces,' Kat said. 'Online, I've had hate comments from 'putting on eyeliner doesn't make you goth' to 'you can't be a good mum looking like that'. 'There is no filter online – people just say the most horrible things, and they have no repercussions for that.' As a young single mum, Kat said she initially turned to the internet for help with her parenting journey but quickly felt 'overwhelmed' by influencer culture. 'When my daughter was born, I really felt a lot of pressure to live up to that outwards appearance of a put-together mum,' she said. 'I had a lot of difficulties with breastfeeding and had to combi-feed… but I eventually realised that every child is so unique, and there is no right way to be a mum.' Kat intends to keep her daughter's life private until she is old enough to make an informed choice about being online – although she would 'love' to make mother-daughter content one day if her daughter wanted to. Her advice to other young or alternative mums is simple: be yourself. 'Nobody should be forced to change who they are to be a good mother – it's not sustainable,' Kat said.
Daily Record
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Scots vampire TikToker's goth alter ego 'helped her confidence after motherhood'
'For a long time, I felt really lost in myself, and I didn't really know how to express myself properly, or how to separate me from the mum that I had become.' A young stay-at-home mum who presents as a vampire in her spare time, wearing corsets and fake fangs and filming in graveyards, has said this alter ego allows her to be 'more confident'. Kat, 22, who is originally from Poland but now lives in West Lothian shares videos of her vampire alter ego 'Katarina' with her 14,000 TikTok followers under the handle @zokatsen. Having been bullied as a child for being 'weird' and 'different', Kat says her online alter ego has helped her find her identity after feeling 'lost' in early motherhood. She takes inspiration from Victorian-era fabrics, pairing black and red silk or lace with white linen and cotton pieces that feature Romantic details like flouncy sleeves, layering them with gothic-inspired jewellery adorned with bat motifs. Despite receiving hate online and 'strange looks' in public for her appearance, Kat, who does not wish to disclose her surname for privacy reasons, has found a community of fellow goths and aims to inspire other mothers to pursue their passions. Her dream would be for her online persona to lead to paid acting roles, and she will be going into her second year studying creative writing at university from September 2025. 'Even though Katarina is a character, she and I are two sides of the same coin,' Kat told PA Real Life. 'She allows me to be more confident, more outwardly somebody that maybe I don't feel so confident being in my own life.' After moving to Scotland from Poland aged two-and-a-half, Kat's journey into the gothic subculture began in childhood, with a love of the film The Corpse Bride and the musical The Phantom Of The Opera. At school, Kat said she was verbally and physically bullied by other girls for being 'outspoken', as well as for her Minecraft YouTube channel – her first foray into content creation. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'Throughout my childhood, there was definitely a pattern of me being considered weird and different, and people trying to stamp that out,' Kat said. 'In high school, that's when the more physical stuff started – pulling hair, standing on my shoes, walking behind me, following me, and then your usual yelling out abuse.' During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kat began experimenting with her appearance, starting with dramatic eyeliner. Her go-to products include Revolution SFX white base, NYX eyeshadow and Rimmel eyeliner – but she focuses on budget-friendly choices. 'I love Vinted – just these random gems that you find,' she said. 'I also try to alter any clothing that I maybe don't like any more, but I could make something else out of it.' Kat's daughter, who she wishes to keep anonymous, was born in May 2023, and she initially threw herself into motherhood, sidelining other parts of her identity. 'For a long time, I felt really lost in myself, and I didn't really know how to express myself properly, or how to separate me from the mum that I had become,' she said. 'I felt like I had to completely lock away any of my desires, any of my needs, and just put my daughter first, because if I didn't do that, I wouldn't have been able to cope.' Kat said she was still in a relationship with her daughter's father at the time, but they have since broken up. She said she knows any future partner would need to support her alternative lifestyle. 'I probably would want to date somebody that is also in the subculture, maybe somebody that has also experienced being shunned for what they really enjoyed doing,' she said. 'Just because I wouldn't be able to be with someone that I didn't really relate to in that way, and I wouldn't want to dampen my own personality and how outwardly myself I have become.' It is at night – when vampires typically prowl – that Kat finds time to create her TikTok content. 'Since I've been a teenager, I find it a lot easier to function at night,' Kat said. She creates videos in which her comedic vampire persona Katarina 'navigates the world of human alternative culture'. In one of her most popular videos, which has more than 340,000 views, Katarina visited Frankenstein's Bar in Edinburgh, acting confused by modern human customs. She also films in graveyards, spaces Kat says she has always found 'peaceful'. While Kat does occasionally use fake fangs in her videos, she uses special effects to edit red eyes in after recording, as she 'struggles' with contact lenses, and this also saves time as a busy mum. Kat draws on her childhood experience as a youth theatre member to bring Katarina to life. She also takes inspiration from vampire-themed media including Netflix's animated series Castlevania, and comedy mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows – with TikTokers drawing comparisons between her and Natasia Demetriou's character, Nadja. 'Katarina says that Nadja is one of her best friends from the United States, so they're kind of spiritual sisters in that sense,' explained Kat. Out of some of the more mainstream vampire series, Kat prefers The Vampire Diaries to the Twilight franchise. 'I watched The Vampire Diaries when I was younger, and I really enjoyed that,' said Kat. 'However, Katarina would hate Twilight because she thinks that it is a completely inaccurate representation of vampires and that it spreads a lot of misconceptions about her kind.' She added: 'I really enjoy acting. That love for theatre has stuck with me – it's a core part of who I am. 'Even though I'm playing a character, I try to incorporate my own values, my belief system and who I am.' Despite the growth of the channel leading to opportunities including an advert for ITVX's vampire collection, Kat's appearance – online and in real life – has not been without backlash. 'I don't get many comments (in real life), but I do see disapproval on some people's faces,' Kat said. 'Online, I've had hate comments from 'putting on eyeliner doesn't make you goth' to 'you can't be a good mum looking like that'. 'There is no filter online – people just say the most horrible things, and they have no repercussions for that.' As a young single mum, Kat said she initially turned to the internet for help with her parenting journey but quickly felt 'overwhelmed' by influencer culture. 'When my daughter was born, I really felt a lot of pressure to live up to that outwards appearance of a put-together mum,' she said. 'I had a lot of difficulties with breastfeeding and had to combi-feed… but I eventually realised that every child is so unique, and there is no right way to be a mum.' Kat intends to keep her daughter's life private until she is old enough to make an informed choice about being online – although she would 'love' to make mother-daughter content one day if her daughter wanted to. Her advice to other young or alternative mums is simple: be yourself. 'Nobody should be forced to change who they are to be a good mother – it's not sustainable,' Kat said.
Bangkok Post
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
Masterpiece musical returns to Bangkok after 12 years
Barely a month away, The Phantom Of The Opera will return to Thailand for a limited season with a total of 22 shows to be staged at Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre, from Aug 5-31. This is the first opportunity in 12 years for audiences in the Kingdom to see the international smash musical that, after almost 40 years since its opening stage debut, has been performed to over 160 million people in 47 territories and 195 cities in 21 languages. Based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel Le Fantôme De L'Opéra, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical tells the story of Christine Daaé, a young, newly-debuted soprano who finds herself becoming the object of attraction of a mysterious and disfigured masked figure dubbed "The Phantom" who resides in the underground labyrinth beneath the Paris Opera House. The Phantom's obsession with Christine eventually turns into something more threatening, with his plans to win her affection by helping her develop her musical skills, leaving behind a trail of destruction and even resulting in the deaths of those that fall victim to his schemes. The musical first debuted in London's West End in 1986 and later on Broadway in New York in 1988. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful and extravagant musicals in history, having won over 70 major theatre awards, with a film adaptation released in 2004, starring Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler. On Oct 9, 2006, The Phantom Of The Opera became the longest-running show in Broadway history, surpassing Cats with its 7,486 performances. In the US alone, the production's nearly 14,000 performances have been seen by 19.5 million people. It's also the second longest-running musical in West End history after Les Misérables. All performances in Bangkok will have Thai surtitles. Ticket prices range from 2,300 to 7,000 baht for the gala night on Aug 5 and cost 1,800 to 6,500 baht for other shows. They can be purchased from Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre is located at The Esplanade on Ratchadaphisek Road. Visit
Evening Standard
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
EastEnders star suspended by BBC after disabled slur on Strictly set
The singer, who performed in the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Of The Opera and also won 2023's Celebrity MasterChef, told The Sun on Sunday earlier this month that the Strictly comment was not sexual or directed at one of the female cast but was a nickname for fellow contestant Borthwick.
South Wales Guardian
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Wynne Evans says he is not a misogynist after remarks during Strictly tour
The Welsh tenor and BBC Radio Wales presenter, also known for his insurance adverts, was touring with the live show after competing on the BBC One programme with Katya Jones last year, when reports by the Mail On Sunday claimed the singer had made sexual remarks about Janette Manrara during a cast photocall. Evans issued a statement apologising and said: 'I've agreed with the BBC that I'll take some time out from my radio show and the Strictly Live tour, as well as my other public commitments, to prioritise my wellbeing. 'I am deeply sorry for the pain my inappropriate actions have caused, and plan to take this time for self-reflection.' Speaking to the Sun on Sunday, he claimed he had not seen the statement apologising for the remark. He told the newspaper the comment was not sexual or directed to Manrara but was a nickname for fellow contestant, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. He said: 'I didn't see the statement. Old Spit-roast Boy was a nickname for Jamie Borthwick. I'm not a bad guy, I'm not a misogynist, I'm not any of these things.' 'It's been heartbreaking. 'Spit-roast boy' was a nickname we all gave Jamie Borthwick because he could contort his legs over his head like a spit-roast chicken. 'But it absolutely wasn't meant sexually – and the fact I used 'boy', all right it's nuanced, but it shows I was talking to Jamie, not Janette. 'And of course, your natural reaction is, if you're told you've offended someone, you say, 'God, I'm so sorry'. 'And so I went, 'I'm so sorry'. And that was taken as a formal apology, so the press team issued a statement. I didn't see it. 'When I read the apology within the context of the story as it had been written, I was absolutely horrified. 'It's been a truly awful past few months, having to keep my counsel and let the narrative that I'm some sort of weirdo run. 'I'm not a misogynist, I'm not any of these things.' Evans was also criticised when a video showed him place his hand on professional dancer Jones's waist, which she moved, during last year's Strictly Come Dancing competition. He claimed this was a 'body language experiment' from TikTok that Jones had suggested, and added: 'We did it, we laughed, we went downstairs to make-up and my phone explodes and I look at it… and let me tell you the body language experiment worked.' Later Evans and Jones apologised claiming that it had been a 'joke'. The singer performed in the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Of The Opera and also won 2023's Celebrity MasterChef. He was eliminated during the Blackpool week of Strictly last year.
